The Best Kind of Gift
by Lexy The Thief
Summary: Sakura's birthday is coming! Sasuke is planning to propose her! Unfortunately, the last heir of the Uchiha clan has a severe talking dyslexia! How's that birthday going to turn out? Rated for mentioning sexual situation [Oneshot] [SasuSaku]


**The Best Kind of Gift**

_The room was dim in candlelight, yet, it didn't stop them from seeing each other lovingly. They seemed unable to avert their eyes from each other. Even though they were chewing their foods, delicious ones at that, their minds weren't anywhere near the foods._

_Whoever done the eating first, they had no idea. All they knew was now the man was staring deeply to the woman's eyes. The gaze was so intense, yet the woman only can return the gaze with dilated eyes._

_With neither of them noticing, the man already bent down, capturing the woman's lips with intense vigour, which was returned as eagerly by the women._

_And then, he pushed her, causing both of them to fall on the floor. Yet, they didn't seem to mind the rough, stony floor as he…_

_--beep-- --beep-- --beep—_

_Well, you get the point._

_If you don't get it, it's the scene that is not suitable for anyone under 16. Usually covered or blurred with blocks in the TV under the government's supervision, and usually used to satisfy people's libido as a visual stimuli._

_Now, I'm sure you understand._

"How about that scenario?" asked Ino eagerly.

Sakura thought for a moment.

"Nope, I still like the moonlight picnic better."

After a long, tiring day at the hospital, Ino and Sakura agreed to have a few drinks in a tiny restaurant nearby, which was famous because of its delicious green tea. Somewhere along the conversation, they turned to discuss Sakura's 18th birthday tomorrow.

And Ino, being a romantic minded she was, planning all the most romantic birthday date scenarios could ever happen.

"Well, all of them are good, Ino," laughed Sakura, "Well, this is such a wishful thinking. Here's hoping. I don't think tomorrow will be like that."

"Well, I'd say no romantic man left for us," stated Ino.

Sakura laughed softly again. It wasn't really her way to act all feminine and polite even though in public, yet Tsunade demanded her to do so. Then, the habit was sticking itself into her.

Except whenever she was with Naruto, of course. His head would always be her favourite punching bag. But the villagers seemed not to mind about it. They saw Naruto as her unstable pet (coughfriendcough) whom needed to be tamed at times.

And it already was reduced greatly, under Tsunade's supervision.

Heck, she didn't want to have another smack from her irate teacher. If the Hokage heard about her not being as a 'proper Godaime's apprentice', she'd beat her to the last inch of life.

"It's true!" she scowled. "At my birthdays, he always takes me to BBQ places. He never kiss me heatedly, or doing any romantic talking. The only romantic talking he does is to his foods! Bah! I wish I have chosen Shikamaru instead. Looking back, I didn't even know that he would be such a romantic. You should see Temari's dreamy faces after their dates."

Sakura stifled a chuckle. "I've noticed." She sipped some of her green tea elegantly, a feature Tsunade demanded to see on her. "But Chouji kissed you, right? You said: 'he didn't kiss me heatedly', not 'he didn't kiss me'."

"Well, that's true." Ino blushed faintly, earning a giggle from her pink-haired friend. "But it's a 'must do'. I mean—everyone do that after a birthday date! Sometimes I want him to treat and see me like he treats and sees his foods."

Sakura laughed softly, earning drool from the other guests. Well, two hot girls, in nurse outfits, laughing and chatting together closely. The dirty thoughts were inevitable. Yet unfortunately, it was known already that the two of them were in exclusive relationship.

"Ah, you mean, you want him to devour you senseless?" teased Sakura, earning a chocking Ino in the opposite of the table. "You know, you always can ask him to."

Ino turned crimson less than a nanosecond.

"Anyway, where will you go tomorrow night? Where will he take you to?" asked Ino, trying to move the topic off of her eighteen-months-relationship with Chouji.

"Who?" asked Sakura lightly.

"Your boyfriend!" scowled Ino, not understanding why her normally smart friend turned so dull.

"My… boyfriend?" Her voice was confused. "I don't have any boyfriend."

Ears perked up. Everyone ears were practically pulled towards their conversation.

"What?! How could you talk about Sasuke like that? He would be severely disappointed by you!"

"...Sasuke-kun? Why should he be disappointed?"

Several girls were already typing frantically in their mobile phones. Gossiping? Ready. Sasuke and Sakura… the role model of a couple… were breaking up?

"Because he's your boyfriend for the entire two years?" Ino's voice rose agitatedly. How could Sakura do that to Sasuke? It wasn't like her at all. "Don't tell me you break up."

"WHAT? No, I _really _can't follow you. How can he be my boyfriend for two years?" said Sakura confusedly.

"Let me get this straight. You're living in his house, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"You're having sex with him, right?"

"Yeah, we are having sex. What's wrong? It's a free village!" She defended.

Several faces blushed hard. And the others were plain lustful.

"And I have caught you two on the woods fucking each other. And I'm sure it's not the only one."

No loos were unoccupied.

Sakura's face was now redder than her usual ninja outfit. "Yes, we were. He has this… kink about having sex in the forest. I was anxious that anyone was watching, and I was _damn _right!"

"That's not the point! I mean—you live in his house, you're having sex with him at least twice a day…," Sakura turned different shades of red at this point, "You two are making it clear that you two are exclusive, but you're not a couple?" Ino was seething, a shadow of Medusa behind her now standing body.

"No, we're not. And Ino, _in public_!" Sakura hissed.

"_Fuck_ public. What's wrong with you? Gods…"

"Ino, sit down. Calm down." Sakura tried to make Ino get rid of the frightening aura. Growling, Ino fell on her seat.

"Explain," demanded Ino.

"Ino, I don't know how you get that, but we're not a couple. We never were. I… I am… I love him. But he doesn't. Relationship works two ways, Ino. This is also a relationship. But it's not _that _relationship."

Ino frowned. "What…? You're not… how about the sex?"

She huffed. "We agreed that it was many 'one night stands'. Oh come on, Ino. Do you really think Sasuke can do 'love'? It wasn't making love. It was sex. Just sex. For him and his libido."

"But… but you two are exclusive! You've never seen somebody else, and he's never had too!"

"Yeah, we agreed on that too. If one of us wants to back off, we're done."

"Then do it!" said Ino. "Break-up with him!"

_I know. Two and a half years and no 'I love you'. Heck, not even 'How are you?' is spilled from his mouth. Any girl would have left._

"You know I can't do it, Ino." Sakura sighed, "…and 'break-up' is a term for a couple."

"He's taking advantage of you!" said Ino exasperatedly, whilst paying the bills for them both. After knowing the truth, she didn't really want Sakura to be the one to pay.

"I don't think so, Ino," defended Sakura. "If any of us is taking advantage, it would be me."

Ino huffed, asking her: "What did he get you for your birthday last year."

"Oh, I never have one when we were together before."

"In TWO YEARS?"

"…"

They went out of the restaurant, trying to ignore the girls typing short message frantically through their mobile phones. Suddenly, a thought occurred on Ino's mind.

"…Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"Has he ever kissed you?"

"…no."

Silence.

"…too bad."

"…Why?"

"Do you know that every single person in this village who is above 15 have the video of you two feeling up each other? Recorded by some of skilful ninjas, that. Knowing how sensitive you two at sensing chakra."

"WHAT?"

"Ah, and the scene after that, too."

"WHAAAATT?"

--------------------------------------------------

Sasuke sighed for the millionth time, and staring at the object held in his hand. Platinum engagement rings with a slight curve tiered with glimmering diamonds was indeed a wonderful piece of work. Even he himself—whom had no sense of art whatsoever—thought so. Yet…

_Kami, I even can't say 'I love you' to her. How can I propose her…??!_

He didn't know whatever deity brought him to buy the ring.

His first intention had only been buying a birthday present for Sakura. Yet, when he had been in the shop, he had bumped into Shikamaru, who had been searching a ring for his fiancée. Interested, he had looked quite a while in the store.

And the next time, a lady in a dark blue uniform had shoved a blue velvet box, wrapped neatly in white ribbon into his hand.

Filled with ENGAGEMENT rings he had his most interest in. He had BOUGHT a pair of engagement rings.

For who?

Like it wasn't completely obvious.

He sighed inaudibly. His attempts for wording his affection to Sakura had been always disastrous. No, scratch that. Catastrophe.

First, when he had wanted to ask her to be his girlfriend, it hadn't been: "Would you be my girlfriend" as he had planned, but…

"_Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"_

She had been stunned. And behind his mask, he had been cursing himself.

And then she had smiled.

The same day, she had lost her virginity to him. The sex had been real good, really good. Yet, he hadn't been able to bring himself to kiss her. No matter how tempting her pink, rosy lips had been, he hadn't kissed her. Then she had smiled, a smile that basically said:

"_It's okay. I understand."_

It was very lucky of him to have such a good and thoughtful friend. After a few months after their so-called-relationship—if it could be called a relationship at all, thanks to his idiocy at talking—he had decided to move her into his house, and asking her to officially become his girlfriend.

It hadn't turned out like that, unfortunately.

"_Move into my mansion. It'd be easier if we don't need to know our own schedule for a day."_

"_You mean, so then you can have sex with me every night without much effort to ask me when will I come home and fetching me at hospital?"_

"_Hn. More or less, yes."_

He knew that she wasn't exactly happy with him. And yet—he assured himself—she must be enjoying the relationship on some level. Or else she had ended things by now.

As he had mentioned two years ago when she had been dancing with unknown handsome stranger. Sure, he had known that it was Ino that had pushed her to accept the stranger's dance request. Still he had been mad as hell.

"_You're NOT to see anyone else but me. You're NOT to touch anyone else but me. Don't even think in SLEEPING with anyone else but me. If you still want to see me, you'll do just that. _You. Are. Mine." _He had emphasized, his hands had been gripping her forearms tightly._

"_I… yes. Sure. I'll do that." She had agreed; her eyes had been gazing into his uncertainly. This hadn't gone unnoticed by the Uchiha._

"_If you want to back off from this, tell me. I'll do the same. I won't see nor touch nor sleep with anyone else either." He had said gruffly._

_She had smiled._

Then, it had been known that they were exclusive. Tied down that until death couldn't possibly part them.

"_If I'm not doing it with you, I'm not doing it at all, Sasuke-kun."_

At least in this, he had told her that he wants them to be exclusive. She must have noticed that he wants her. And only her.

"_I would never betray you, Sasuke-kun."_

But he had never been completely honest with her, had he? He hadn't been showing his affection to her either. _Even _during the sexual encounter, he had never kissed her, or trailing his hand affectionately over her body like she was doing to him (she had never kissed him either, afraid that she might be rejected or pushed away), even though he craved to do so. She wouldn't have a clue.

But then, couldn't she look into the depth in his eyes, that he loves her and only her? Couldn't she feel the way he choke her suitors with his darkest aura?

Or did she simply think that he was possessive bastard?

He scoffed. That thought _had _to be gone by the end of the night.

He remembered what his former teacher a.k.a. snake bastard had said to him: 'Practice makes Perfect'.

And amazingly, the pale sannin words were proven to be _always _right.

So… let's.

_Hmm… she'll walk through the door; she'll enter the room…_

_And then… I'll start by saying 'hello'._

_Nay, 'hi' is better. Maybe it'll be 'hi'._

…_No, I think it would be 'hello'._

…

_I think it'd be depends of what my mood later._

_Ok, done with the greetings._

_And then…_

_We'll start talking about…_

_Say whether she…_

_Ask her how…_

…

…

…

Sasuke exhaled sharply.

"I'm in a deep shit, ain't I?"

--------------------------------------------------

Sakura was walking to the Uchiha Mansion after she parted ways with Ino. She was still fuming about the video Ino had told her about.

She meant… eww! It's just… ew!

That had been her first instinct, yet, the Inner Sakura whispered to her over and over:

_Hey, ask her for the video! We can watch it together when Sasuke is not home!_

**WHACK!**

Sakura mentally blushed at the mental image. Even though she would never admit it out loud, she was rather… curious about the video might look like.

Great, she was being a star in a porn movie without her own knowledge, and the first thing she could think about it was to watch it.

She wondered how Sasuke might react after hearing the news. In her imagination, there would be a deafening silence, and then explosion from the Uchiha prodigy.

She mentally giggled at the thought of the red face of remaining Uchiha. Yet, the mere thought of him saddened her at once.

She still loved him, no matter how he had pushed her away, even in his bed. Her feelings were not a switch she could turn on and off as she likes it, even though she wanted it so badly.

Sometimes she thought that he cared for her in some levels, remembering how possessive he was to her, never even allowing her as much to flutter her eyelashes to a stranger.

But he had never kissed her, damn it! They were going all rated NC-17 at least three times a day, but he had never, ever kissed her.

In two years they had been together, if you could call it like that.

Although she would never admit it out loud, she was frustrated.

In two years they were together, no one had realized that they were actually NOT a couple.

It was certainly not their fault. They simply had never said anything to them, and they had been drawing conclusion by themselves.

Well, she couldn't blame them. With their closeness and all, they would think they were a couple.

To tell the truth, she always had wanted to end all of the ridiculousness about their relationship.

But everytime, she had found herself unable to say it. As much as she hated their commitment-less relationship, as much as she wanted the ridiculousness and uncertainty of their loveless days, she loved him, and wanted to spend every single day with him.

She often cursed herself of her own stupidity.

Her birthday will come in two days. She hoped that a miracle would happen in her birthday.

--------------------------------------------------

Sasuke gave up after he had munched two boxes of waffles, six boxes of Pocky, ten tomatoes, and changing his position on the bed for fourteen times that day. He decided that he still had two days before the day, and he still could ask Kakashi or Naruto for that.

He heard the door of his mansion clicked open, and practically teleport to the front door.

She was home already.

Home.

Home was the place where he can still content, happy, and longing to be there. She was his home.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun. How's your day?" she greeted, somehow politely.

He grunted as the response.

She smiled. "I take it you're okay. How's training? Any injury?"

"No. Not really. I'm not training."

"You're not training? NOW that's news." She smiled sweetly at him, a smile that always had been successful to make his knees weak. She observed his naked chest and his trousers (which hung dangerously low on his hips) "You look really sexy today. Very edible."

An expression, mixture of amusement and lust formed in his usually stoic face.

She looked at him appraisingly, taking in his expression. "You want me in your bed?"

"Oh, yes." Sasuke smirked menacingly, raking his eyes up and down her body. "It would be my greatest pleasure."

"Anyway," said Sakura as she peeled down her coat, "I'm not in the mood of doing it today."

Sasuke frowned. _She… wants to break it up?_

"I'm not doing it on the bed." Sakura took of her gloves, revealing the creamy white skin, a bit roughened from ninja training though, but always been very soothing.

Sasuke's smirk widened. "There's a clear space in that corner."

"I think I'd rather prefer the sofa, Sasuke-kun," said Sakura, taking off her boots. "It's been quite a long time since we did it there."

--------------------------------------------------

They didn't do it on the sofa.

Or at least, not _only _at the sofa.

They were now gradually calming their breath on the sun-warmed carpet on the living room; their bodies were covered in sweat and something else musky.

Sasuke looked at the woman entangled in his limbs, thinking. It was always been easy for him to have sex with her, why couldn't he kiss her, or propose to her?

The answer was clear. Because he was never a man of words.

And he was—even though he'd never admit it above the hellfire—a coward.

Coward. Coward. Coward.

"_Scaredy cat…"_

He must put an end to that thought. "Sakura—"

His lips were covered with a pair of warm, feminine lips. She kissed him, hard and longing, wanting yet afraid. Need it to continue, but desperate for it to stop.

She was afraid that he'd break it up if she did it.

But she did it anyway.

_If he put it to an end, so be it. If he will, well, it's just a matter of sooner or later._

_It's just a matter of time._

_It's just a matter of time when my heart will break._

_But please, please—don't push me away._

She kissed him harder, hotter, and when she felt a tongue asking for permission, she gladly permitted it to her mouth.

She had no idea how long the kiss lasted. Her lungs were screaming for the air, but the need of the kiss from him, the large hands on her shoulder and nape was greater.

She wanted—needed it more than the air in her lungs, the foods for her stomach, and the ground beneath her feet for her to hold on.

They both were lost into sensation, neither care nor want to care about the time, what they knew was just this was good, really good, too perfect to be explained with words.

Neither of them wanted it to end, while they knew it _must _end.

After some moments of eternity, they drew themselves back from the kiss. Panting hard and breathless. Both of them were dizzy with pleasure and their lips tingly from the kiss.

They were just sharing their first kiss. Sasuke was stunned she was the one made the first step.

But hell, it had been soooo good.

If the Naruto kiss-incident was compared to this, it could just be said as 'birds pecking each other'.

It was deranged to compare the kiss he shared with Sakura and the kiss he (incidentally) shared with Naruto.

After Sakura regained some of her brain cells that she had bid goodbye when she decided to kiss him, chill and fear gripped her spine despite her heated body.

_What if he hates me…?_

_I was lying when I said it's okay if he leaves me. I'll DIE if he leaves me._

Unconsciously, tears trickled down her cheeks.

_I'm so—so stupid! I shouldn't have let my pathetic emotion ruined all these between us._

"You…" said Sasuke uncertainly, afraid if his next word came out wrong.

But without he's saying anything, he knew that something was wrong. Even though their kiss had been amazing and beyond words could ever describe, the sad tears trailing her flushed cheeks was certainly not a good sign of rightness.

"I'm sorry," she said hoarsely. "I really am. I… lost control."

He meant to soothe her with his words, but his talking problem made it came out in something horrible, like:

"Hmpf… like it matters."

She felt tons of bricks crashed into her. Her tears came out more fiercely.

_It doesn't matter._

_It has never matter._

_I have never matter for him._

"So…" she said between tears, "it's… over?"

_No! _he wanted to say. _Of course not! I love you; NEED you by my side for eternity._

But instead, he ran his gaze coldly over her figure. "What is it between us to be over?"

And the next thing he knew, she was closing the front door of his mansion with her clothes and utilities with her.

She was leaving him.

And it was his fault.

--------------------------------------------------

_Live in my house_

_I'll be your shelter_

_Just pay me back_

_With one thousand kisses_

_Be my lover_

_And I'll cover you_

(I'll Cover You, Rent)

--------------------------------------------------

On the next day, Sakura was sitting on a bar, had nothing yet to drink even though the fizzing sake in front of her was so tempting to be gulped down her throat, buzzing her already chaotic mind.

She wanted it so much, to loosen up and have nothing to think about. Just a happy, warm glow, laughter bubbling up in her throat and dreaming of something that had nothing to do with _him_.

Even though her medic knowledge prevented her to do that.

Drinking until she was unconscious and mad wouldn't change the fact that it was over.

It was over.

Their so-called relationship in two years was ended in one, ONE kiss.

And it had been because her idiotic mind and so-called bravery.

She should have known better than saying goodbye to her brain and kiss him. At least, for some uncertain few days, or months, or even _years _he would still have sex with her, still seeing after her everyday, still sharing body heat with her own.

She glanced at her watch—a thing that she would likely go mad without—and realized that it was only less than an hour to midnight, to her birthday.

_What a special birthday treat, _she thought gruffly. Finally, she gulped the sake in front of her in one huge gulp.

The buzz was nice, but not enough to send her into a state which she couldn't think at all. Needn't to think at all. Because when she forced herself to think about something else, still, _still _his cold voice echoed in her head.

"_What is between us to be over with, after all?"_

She had been unable to think afterwards, fumbling over one or two words that she didn't even _knew _coming from her. Packing her things, and went out.

She had known that he hadn't shooed her away, but she hadn't been want to wait until he actually did. It'd be too painful to remember, or even to think about.

Yet in honesty, no day had been gone without the fear of him telling her to leave.

"One more cup, please." The young bartender responded with filling her cup. The healthy young man had considered flirting with her. But seeing her expression and her eyes, he knew that he just would be sent flying through the walls.

Just when the cup touched her lips, she lowered it back.

_I don't know if alcohol THIS strong…_

In the doorway, she saw the man who haunted thousands and thousands of her dreams.

--------------------------------------------------

That severe talking dyslexia only happened when he was with her, he figured. When he reported the whole things with Naruto, Kakashi, and JIRAIYA, he had no problem at all.

Since he had been a child, it had been hard for him to express feeling to the people he held most dear to him. His brother, his mother, his father…

But for some unknown reasons, the principle didn't apply with them. He had no problem talking at all with his former teacher and his best friend.

Which could be because they exchanged insults every single day.

But the problem is: the talking itty-bitty-problem still happened with Sakura.

And the 'itty-bitty-talking problem' had taken her away from him.

Once he had regained his composure after the shock of the closing door (even though it hadn't like she had been slamming it, the closing of the door had actually been practically inaudible), his eyes had been blazing with determination.

He was going to take her back, damn it.

"_BAKA! If you have a problem talking about sweet words, DON'T even try to speak sweet words!" roared Naruto._

"_Yep, if you can't talk, don't talk," said Kakashi._

"_So what am I supposed to do?"_

"_There are ways to express love without words, you know." Jiraiya suggested, tapping the table with his fingers. "Such as edging your hand up her thigh…" Jiraiya was cut off with Naruto's hand smacked his head._

"_He's… halfway right, you know," coughed Kakashi. "Don't tell her that you love her with words, tell her with your eyes, expressions, touches, anything!"_

"_And if you needed words, WRITE them. Don't talk to her at once," added Naruto._

"_I can't think of sweet words," muttered Sasuke gruffly. "I spent all day searching for them and I still don't know what to say, or write," added Sasuke quickly, looking at Naruto's expression._

"_Well, we have a novelist here." Naruto announced._

"_A PORN novelist?"_

"_Oh well… some lines are pretty romantic, you know." Kakashi stood up by Jiraiya as the die-hard-fans-no-make-that-soldier-of-Icha-Icha-Paradise._

_Sasuke snorted, while Jiraiya whipped out his notebook and pen excitedly. "So, Sasuke. What do you want to say to her? In general?"_

"_Well…"_

Jiraiya's skill in writing hadn't helped him. At all.

When he had tried to tell him what he wanted to say, he suddenly had a trouble breathing and voicing his words.

And then they had exchanged helpless glances each other, and then they said:

"_Just write 'Will you marry me?' if that what you want. And if you can't tell us what you want to say, write it yourself."_

Now, Sasuke stood awkwardly in front of her. Sakura looked at him in a dazed expression. As if dreaming…

"Er…" he started, albeit afraid of her blank look.

_Will she take him back, after all these?_

He noticed the cup of sake held in her small hand. He frowned immediately.

Sakura never drank sake. Not like himself and Naruto, in which Saturday night was always their time to have a Boy's Night Out together.

"How many cups did you have?" asked Sasuke, his tone demanding answer.

When the bartender saw that Sakura only stare blankly, he answered quickly to the dark ninja, "It was only her second cup, Sasuke-sama."

He sighed, that amount of alcohol will only dry her throat and gave her a little kick. Not affecting her brain.

But then, why did she look at him as if he was a ghost?

"Sakura," he said, gripping her hands. "Sakura, are you okay?"

"Sasuke… kun…?" she said, unsure. "You… are real…?"

Sasuke, the man who could make her jumping from one mood to another in mere seconds. The man she had loved since they are eight.

The man she desperately wanted to spend her lifetime with.

He was… here?

What could he be possibly wanted from her?

She had absolutely nothing else to offer. From the first start, she had never cheated him by giving him less by herself.

Nor she would cheat him now.

Unconsciously, she was blinded with the pained tears.

She was wrong.

Even though in a haze of alcohol, she couldn't escape.

_Don't escape it._

_Face it._

She quickly wiped her cheeks, and then forced herself to crack a smile.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun!" exclaimed Sakura brightly, a little too brightly. "How are you?"

He frowned. "The question is: How are you?"

"I'm fine!" said Sakura, forcing a laugh. "I don't know why it came out all high-pitched and squeaky, but I AM fine!"

"No, you're not. Sakura—" he was cut off by Sakura.

"I am fine, Sasuke-kun." A stubborn gleam was in her eyes.

"Sakura, I am SORRY," said Sasuke firmly. "I didn't mean to say that. I didn't—"

"You don't have to apologize, Sasuke-kun. I really am fine. Well, it came out I was a bit… unstable right now. But I want to be fine."

"Sakura—"

"No, I WILL be fine, Sasuke-kun."

"But I won't."

A pause.

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Sakura, listen to me." Sasuke dragged a chair and then sit in front of her. "I don't… I _can't _tell you all sweet things or that I want…" he gulped, peeking the lines he had written on his palm for a clue.

**I love you**

Nah, if he said that, his tongue would stick to the roof of his mouth before the words came out his lips.

**I want to marry you**

Nay, it would be worse. Maybe he would chew his own tongue in the process.

He didn't know what to say.

But he knew what to _do_.

He pulled her into his hold, tilting her head with one hand, and then kissed her.

The fact that it was their second time didn't make it any less mind blowing.

He nibbled on her lower lips, shoving his tongue in when she groaned, and explored her crevice until he knew every curve, drinking in her sweetness.

_Now, this is the good use of tongue._

"I… don't want you to leave," said Sasuke, halfway pleading. "I never want you to leave."

Wow, he had the talking things better when he was after kissing her.

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Believe me. I'm… I'm not a man of words. I could never tell you all these feelings from my mouth… But I…"

He broke off when he felt her lips descended onto his in a soft, short kiss.

Through their daze of euphoria, they heard the soft chime from the clock.

It was already her birthday day.

He awkwardly reached into his pocket, taking out a blue velvet box, and no less awkwardly said, "Your… present."

She took it from his hand, her eyes wide and full of disbelief. She opened the box, almost crying and sobbing when she saw the ring. And when she pulled out the ring, a message was hung on the ring by a string.

_**Would you marry me?**_

Now, the tears really came out.

For a horrible moment, he thought that she would throw the ring away and saying that she wouldn't come back to him.

The thought grew stronger when she placed the ring on his palm. His stomach grew unbearably hurt.

"Please," she said, offering her hand.

He thought he would cry from happiness and the fullness of his heart. He held the small ring with his own big finger, taking her hand, and slid the ring into her ring finger.

"Yes." Sakura said. "The answer is yes."

Sasuke kissed her forehead gently. "I know. Thank you."

"No. Thank _you_."

"Let's go home." She smiled when she heard it.

_Home._

After paying the sake, they stepped out the bar, walking the road.

Walking their way to their _home_.

"You're not… angry?" asked Sasuke.

"I was," answered Sakura. "But not at you, at myself." She added quickly, looking at his expression.

"Why?"

"Because… because I felt unworthy for you and useless, and have no real meaning for you but for sexual relationship… That you would take me for granted forev—"

She was cut off by a pair of rough, warm lips on hers.

"I would never take you for granted," Sasuke stated firmly. "In my life, I would never take you as anything but a gift."

As the words spilled out from his mouth, Sasuke—no, both of them, but especially Sasuke—turned into an interesting shade of red.

It seemed like the talking problem would heal, after all.

"So.. er…" Sasuke said awkwardly, "What's your wish for your birthday?"

"…I wish… we can stay like this forever."

A pause.

"Yeah… Forever sounds good."

"Forever sounds good," repeated Sakura.

They resumed their walk in silence, when suddenly Sakura spoke up.

"Hey, do you know that every villager above 15 have our video having sex?"

"…no."

"Well, now you know."

"…"

"…"

"…Where do you think we can get it?"

The Best Kind of Gift  
Fin

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Happy Birthday, Sakura! I hope you have more roles in the manga now!

**Disclaimer(s):**

Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto

The self talking training of meeting between Sasuke and Sakura is inspired from 'Man of The House'.

The 'two birds pecking each other' is not mine. But I'm not sure where I read (or listen) to it.

The 'she wouldn't cheat him by giving him less than herself' is from Iris Johansen's 'The Ugly Duckling'.

Some lines are inspired by Iris Johansen's 'The Wind Dancer', and then modificated.

The idea of this fic is inspired by $abrina The Thief's story.

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Reviews would be appreciated

Thank you for reading,  
£exy The Thief


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